Chutes 'N Ladders Fix
by Scarby
Summary: Do you really think that it was just Eric who convinced Hyde to stay in Point Place instead of moving to New York with Crissy? (Hyde/Fez, "Punk Chick")


Title: Chutes 'N Ladders Fix

Author: Scarby

Disclaimer: Not mine. Never mine. Great if were mine but not mine. (OK, so much for Caveman-Scarby!)

WARNING: As always love transcending gender. For all those too uneducated to realize what I mean, then stop reading!

Couplings: Erm…the usual. Oh, and Hyde/Fez, of course!

Summary: Do you really think that it was just Eric who convinced Hyde to stay in Point Place instead of moving to New York with Crissy? (Hyde/Fez, "Punk Chick")

Spoilers: "Punk Chick". You know, the one where Eric can't take Donna's bra off and Hyde deciding whether he should go to New York or not.

Go ahead. Flame me. I dare you! After reading the WARNING, I triple-doggie-dare you to!

Chutes 'N Ladders Fix

New York. Point Place. New York. Point Place.

Really not much of a contest.

Hyde walked towards the entrance to Forman's basement, glad that Eric was still away.

__

Probably trying to find me to convince me to stay. He grinned evilly. _Or finding Donna._ This time, he allowed a chuckle to escape his lips as he walked down the concrete steps. _Ah, to mock the trials of teenage love._

Inadvertently leading his thoughts to Crissy as his hand stilled on the doorknob. Could he really throw away all the friendships he had here for a chance with some girl he'd just met? His hand slipped back to his side as his body leaned bonelessly against the cold, concrete wall, the bag in his hand almost slipping from nerveless fingers. 

Could he just forget Eric, who was his brother in everything but blood?

Donna, who he once thought he loved but now was the best of friends?

Kelso, who was so easy to make fun of and even easier to like?

Even Jackie, with whom there was no spark except anger between them?

And Fez? Fez, who he'd met by accident, who he'd had no choice but befriend, who's simple smile and carefree laughter could make Hyde smile at the dreariest of times?

Could he leave everyone behind? Bob, Red, Kitty, Midge, Big Rhonda, Patti, Buddy, Crazy Caroline, Pam Macy, his mother… Could he leave behind all he held so dear? For a pipe dream and a girl who would so easily toss him away as she'd taken him in?

Shrugging, he muttered, "Guess we'll find out soon enough."

With authority he didn't honestly feel, Hyde opened the door and walked into the brightly-lit basement, bag full of his possessions in hand.

His heart stopped at the single person he saw standing at the base of the stairs, obviously about to climb back up when Hyde had walked in.

"Hey, Fez," the curly-haired boy said cheerily.

"Hyde?" He turned around completely, glancing down at his bag. "You're actually leaving then?"

"Yup. Just forgot something here." Walking over to the pile of boardgames, he rifled through them until he found Chutes 'N Ladders, which he opened to reveal a packet of marijuana. At Fez's questioning look, he replied, "Eric's got his Candyland stash, and I've got my Chutes 'N Ladders fix." He carefully placed the pot in his bag before walking over to the foreign exchange student and squeezing his shoulder. "Keep up the mischief, man. And don't let Forman back down from painting the pot leaf on the water tower." 

"Why don't you stay and convince him yourself?"

Hyde shook his head, having no argument left for him, and turned around.

A forceful hand snagged his bag, which ceased his movements.

"Do you really have to go?"

Refusing to relinquish the pack, he angrily circled around to glare into cocoa-brown eyes. "Don't tell me you're gonna be like Forman. He tried to convince me to stay as well. It didn't work, as you can see."

Those innocent eyes widened. "But what's in New York that you don't have here?"

"I'm going, man. That's it." He tugged futilely at the bag between them.

  
"But why are you leaving us, all of your friends..." more hesitant, "me?"

"Well, Crissy – "

Exasperated, Fez hurled his hand away from the bag. "You're throwing everything away for some *whore*! How can you leave with some girl who would throw you away in an instant when you have someone who loves you here?!" 

At the last statement, Hyde opened his mouth to protest, but Fez, apparently thinking he had nothing left to lose, flung himself into the taller boy's arms, his warm mouth instantly, effortlessly, finding Hyde's slightly shock-open one.

The instant their two pairs of lips collided, Hyde realized exactly the place he needed to be.

After a minute, Fez pulled back, and they stared silently at each other.

Hyde was the first to break the silence as he monotonously asked, "You love me?"

Noiselessly, Fez nodded, still clutching Hyde around his neck.

Without any emotion on his face, he questioned quietly, "Do you really know what you're saying, man?"

Again, Fez innocently nodded. "I do. I know. I love you, Hyde."

Hyde allowed himself a broad smile. "I love…cake."

Grinning just as widely at his confession, Fez repeated, "I love cake. I love cake…"

This time, when Fez kissed him again, Hyde's hand dropped his bag, forgotten, onto the floor to use both hands to feel the laughing boy in front of him.

New York. Point Place.

It wasn't such a difficult decision after all.

Ah, thanks for reading. Now, be a good, little reader and review? Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top? 


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